Mechanically intrusive fasteners to retain a core insert within a putter body adversely effect the feel, that is, the feedback that a golfer relies on in the use of the putter. The present invention is an improvement over the prior art wherein steps recesses, backing plates, slots, tabs, extensions, pins, rods, screws, or other fasteners or combinations thereof are used as the primary means of core insert retention in a putter body. These mechanisms are stress risers and of unnecessarily complicated design.
In the prior art, Applicant is aware of numerous attempts in the prior art to improve the field of golf clubs generally and putters particularly. As an example, the following United States patents deal with the use of resilient or otherwise different density inserts mountable into the striking face of a golf club: U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,562 issued to Sturm on Nov. 25, 1997,for Soft Impact Putter; U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,132 issued to Fisher on Oct. 7, 1997,for Golf Club Head with Rebound Control Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,472 issued to Magerman et al on Nov. 19, 1996, for Golf Putter Head Having Face Insert and Method of Forming the Same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,510 issued to Schmidt et al on Feb. 25, 1997, for Golf Putter with Face Plate Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,935 issued to Nelson on Dec. 1, 1998,for Golf Putter Head With Low Density Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,332 issued to Fisher on Oct. 17, 1995, for Golf Putter Head with a Cushioning Face; U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,212 issued to Cook on Nov. 7, 1995, for Golf Club Putter; U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,093 issued to Rohrer on Jun. 16, 1998, for Golf Putterhead; U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,189 issued to Martin et al on Sep. 15, 1998, for Golf Club Head; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,747 issued to Fujimura et al on Jul. 18, 1989, for Set of Golf Clubs.
For the reasons better set out below, such inserts are inferior to the full depth elastomeric core insert of the present invention.
Applicant is also aware in the prior art of two United States patents, also disclosing inserts for use in golf club heads wherein the insert is interior to the golf club head, namely: U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,481 issued to Raudman on Oct. 13, 1998, for Golf Putter; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,535 issued to Gee on Jun. 20, 1995, for Polymer Filled Perimeter Weighted Golf Clubs.
Applicant is aware of one United States patent, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,223 which issued Jul. 26, 1994 to Johnson for a Golf Club Putter and Method of Manufacture, which teaches the use of an insert which extends from the striking face of the putter to the rear face of the putter and is peripherally contained within a peripherally weighted putter head. In particular, the putter head of Johnson is formed by bending a rod of suitable rigid material, such as stainless steel, into a desired head shape thereby defining an enclosed open area into which a striking face insert is installed and permanently held in place with a suitable adhesive filler material such as a polyester fiberglass resin. What is neither taught nor suggested, and which is an object of the present invention to provide, is the mounting of a full depth elastomeric core into a peripherally weighted putter head without the requirement of either adhesive filler material such as taught by Johnson, or other mechanical fastening means such as taught in the above cited prior art.